Adelaide - A Native American purification ritual carried out in Australia's parched centre has left one man dead and another fighting for his life, police said on Thursday.
A man in his 20s was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital at remote Leigh Creek on Wednesday after he and a fellow participant collapsed at a campsite during the sweat lodge ritual in the north of South Australia state.
The second man was airlifed to Port Augusta, near the state capital Adelaide.
They were among 11 people from Melbourne taking part in the ceremony, involving water and hot rocks to align the body, mind and spirit and had been at the campsite for nearly a week.
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| The dead man was thought to have died from severe dehydration |
The dead man was thought to have died from severe dehydration, police said.
Local people said they were unaware of the group's presence until they came asking for help on Wednesday.
Members of the group disbanded the site after the man's death, and told reporters at the scene that they were not a cult but just a group of friends.
Any understanding of geology would reveal why the site was sacred, they added.
Australia's remote central regions are almost devoid of water and travellers in the region are always advised to carry ample supplies. - Sapa-AFP
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